Friday, November 24, 2017

Danny Secretion & Fuck Cancer: The Story of a Weekend to Remember

     Danny Secretion is a name I have heard of and known for a while now. Hanging around in my early college days, I would hear friends of mine playing music by The Secretions, and talking about Danny as this local scene figurehead.
     Never was a bad thing ever said about him. 
     Over the years, I would hear friends of mine talk about him, and what he was up to. Shows where he would play with other bands, and the like. 
     Then I saw The Moans play at First Festival and someone pointed out to me, 
     "Oh, yeah, their guitar player is Danny Secretion."
     What.
     And sure enough, I saw him play, complete with hilarious banter, limitless stage energy, and genuine love for his fellow band mates and the crowd gathered in front of him. 
     That's why when I caught wind about his next idea, I got very excited. From November 15-19th Danny put together and hosted Fuck Cancer: Danny Secretion's Lame-Ass Birthday Bash, a benefit series of shows where the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. The list of bands was expansive, and diverse, with each night hosting its own slice of the Sacramento rock, punk rock, and hip-hop scene. 
     As well, each venue chosen were local pillars of the music scene. 
     The first shows on Wednesday and Thursday were held at the Powerhouse Pub and The Press Club, respectively. However, at full disclosure, this writer was not able to make it to these first two shows. 
     I know. Lame. 
     Life happens like that sometimes, though.
     So, rather than bullshit my way through describing what I didn't see, here is who played and where:
Powerhouse Pub - Wednesday 11/15
     Both those venues have a solid reputation of having some of the best local acts come through their doors, so please, take the time to check them out from here. You won't be sad that you did. 
     Friday night settled in, though, cold and crisp as I found myself walking to Old Ironsides, nestled in one of my favorite parts of Midtown in Sacramento. I walk into the bustling bar, full of energetic, smiling people as the stage is getting filled with equipment. I grab a drink and wander over to the merch tables where Danny is setting up to sell Fuck Cancer shirts. Adorned in all black with a leather jacket, which is covered in various buttons and pins, and a baseball cap, he shakes my hand when I say hello. We talk for a bit about how great it is that tonight is happening, and that this is going to be a swell night. Danny's natural, nice attitude is infectious and I certainly enjoy getting to chat with him. Tonight, though, he is hosting and being greeted by legions of friends and fellow musicians, so our initial encounter is brief, but still very pleasant. 
     More to come on that, though.  
     The night settles in, the bar fills more, and the first band of the night, Slattern V takes the stage. 
     Slattern V is a 4 piece rock outfit that is decked out in quality vintage gear, and hit the ground running tonight. As their set hits me with it's vibrant, tube-driven, hard edged sound, I get the sense of a Tom Petty influence, mixed with an alternative rock sound that also reminds me of The Foo Fighters and REM. Their songs are well structured, and as their set continues, their guitar player really showcases his wide range of effects he employs. All these features coalesce into a high energy, fun set that grabbed my interest and didn't let go until they were done. It was a great way to start off the night. 
     The next band up, Vinnie Guidera and The Dead Birds, already piqued my interest just by setting up. The three piece outfit, their lead singer, Vinnie, had an acoustic guitar. But, when he went to strum it for sound check, I got a face full of warbled, distorted goodness that reminded me instantly of Scott Pilgrim's band Sex Bob-Omb
     Only, you know, way cooler, and with less angst.
     Anyway, they kick into their set and they establish a killer rock foundation right out of the gate. For a three-piece, they had a very big sound tht hd a good, hard edge to it, thanks to the acoustic twang that came from their guitar. They had a good rock sound, also like the Foo Fighters, but with elements of The Pixies that I could hear mixed in too. Maybe even a little pop-punk vibe mixed in there for good measure. Either way, it was a very enjoyable set and left me satisfied and pleasantly deafened. 
     The next band that took the stage was Kevin Seconds and his newly formed band. Kevin, known for doing his solo acoustic songs and his work with 7 Seconds as their lead singer, had chosen tonight to make this new incarnation happen, and he did not disappoint. With Kevin on vocals and guitar, he and his other 3 band-mates proceeded to hammer the room with nice, angry, fast, and fun punk rock that most fans of his are very familiar with. Full of monstrous gain, his batch of songs he delivered reminded me of all the best qualities of bands like The Vandals, NOFX, and The Misfits rolled into one.  
     And last but not least, local punk rock idol, Skid Jones, joined The Moans on stage to close out the night. With Danny assisting Skid with vocal duty, they came onto stage to the tune of "Ecstasy of Gold", made famous from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". What was unleashed had all the hallmarks of a solid Moans set. 4 chord skate-punk, mixed with high energy stage antics, and ear crushing punk. With the addition of Skid Jones, though, it gave them more of a Dead Kennedy's vibe. His height, coupled with long hair and beard made for a captivating stage presence to go with the fun side of The Moans. As well, for an encore set, they had Tom, the bass player from Kevin Seconds' group join them on stage for a rousing rendition of "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" and "Blitzkrieg Bop".
     All in all, this made for a pretty bombastic Friday evening. I ventured back out into the frigid night to my car, eager for the show happening tomorrow night.
     Before I knew it, it was Saturday night and I was out again to see the event take over both Cafe Colonial and The Colony for the only all-ages show of the entire run. I wander in and settle up to the bar, and soon enough a beer is in my hand, and I am taking in the low hum of excitement that permeates the room when a show is coming up. Halfway through my beer, I see Danny walk in, and start setting up his shirt table. Soon enough, we get to chatting a bit, and I am able to ask him a few questions about this exciting event he has put together. 
     The first thing I wanted to know was how this whole idea came about. He explains, 
     "I started doing birthday shows just for fun, about 17 years ago. And, you know, it wasn’t for raising money for anything, it was just to get together with a bunch of friends and bands. And then, about 15 years ago, a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer, and he was living in Japan at the time, so I thought, ‘Well, let’s do the birthday show as a fundraiser for him.’ And we did that for about 5 [later edited to 2] years in a row…and then we decided, let’s donate it to the American Cancer Society…And it eventually evolved into ‘Fuck Cancer’ and all that." 
     He also adds, 
     "It was 13 years ago, as well, my father was also diagnosed with cancer. So that was the real catalyst that made it go to the American Cancer Society."
     With so much emotional investment Danny has in this series of shows, I am curious at that moment how the bands have responded to this fundraiser as well. He says, 
     "As soon as I release the dates, I’ll have a band contact me on social media. My friend Ken, who plays in Cassette Idols…I think he contacted me ten minutes after I made an event page on social media (laughs)."
     He goes on to add, 
     "It’s nice to get contacted by bands, but I still like to reach out to bands…I like to reach out to bands I’m not very familiar with, so I can get the chance to go out and see them…plus I like booking all of my friends! (laughs)."
     Variety has also been something he has been thankful to be able to focus on. He elaborates by saying, 
     "This year, we’ve got stand-up comedy, we’ve got a burlesque act, and we got hip hop this year…This year I wanted to reach out genre’s and acts I don’t normally reach out to, and stuff like that."
     Venues have also been very responsive to these shows as well. Danny reiterates his genuine appreciation, by saying, 
     "All of the Venues that have been on this series have been overwhelmingly generous…Some of the venues have been taking care of security and sound on their own, paying them off the bar and saying ‘Don’t worry, you take this’. Not that I expect that from them, but yeah, they have just been overwhelmingly gracious to us...The venues are gracious; the bands are very gracious…It’s a good booster to my local music self-esteem."
     He shakes my hand and gives his trademark ear-to-ear smile, as we head back into the venue in time to catch the start of the night. Immediately, Danny is greeted by another friend, complete with a big hug for him. I am not ashamed to say that, upon hearing him be that appreciative and see him be this nice, this whole experience has warmed my heart. 
     And the bands haven't even started for the night, yet.
     Over on the Colony side, soon enough, the first band of the night takes the stage. Free Candy is the band I wish I was in when i was younger. I'm not going to venture a guess as to how old this 4-piece's members were, because they had me sucked in, regardless. Between songs with "Star Wars" as a title, to a badass girl on bass with a kick ass voice, to their energetic guitar player, I was smiling right along with everyone else. Slamming us with razor sharp chops that reminded me of early Green Day, Teenage Bottlerocket, and proto-grunge rock that was a lot of fun to see. 
     Up next, back over at the Cafe was a local mainstay that has been on my radar for a bit, but I get to finally check them out. The O'Mulligans take the stage, throwing off a vibe immediately of NOFX, owed to their bass player/lead singer playing a bass that Fat Mike may possibly own. I didn't get to think that far ahead because they confirmed it quickly, throwing blasting, 3-4 chord, under-2-minutes-a-song punk at me. They also reminded me of Goldfinger, SR-71, with some good ol' Bad Religion and Misfits sprinkled in there. Between this sonic whirlwind and their incessantly witty banter, they were a lot of fun to witness. 
     The band up after these guys was at The Colony. The Enlows, a solid 3-piece outfit, continued the upbeat, rocking tradition that was being established tonight. The rocked a sound that reminded me of The Ramones and Less than Jake mixed together. Throughout their energetic set, they also dipped into some 00's era punk. Not only did it serve to entertain us adult, but they also had two little kids dancing around in the crowd, practicing their tiny mosh pit moves. All with proper ear protection, of course. 
     Back again over to the Cafe, Kill the Precendent was about to take the stage. I was already interested, since they had their own video canvas hanging behind them, but when they started playing my mind was blown. Fronted by two lead singers, as part of a 5-piece here this night, they kick into harsh, synth-laden backing tracks to start while playing video in the background that one would expect to see either out of a Ministry music video or a duck-and-cover drill from the 1950s. 
     Or both. 
     Either way, when both singers started running around, screaming and singing to those in the crowd, their full industrial sound hit me full force. Their combination of wicked double bass, crunchy guitar, and synth overlays made the hair stand up on my neck. As their set continued, their sound took on an unholy hybrid of Ministry, Lard, KMFDM, and Black Flag the likes of which I hadn't gotten to see before. People in the crowd were jumping, flailing, and throwing their hair around like an honest to goodness musical happening was unfolding in front of, and inside of, themselves. Once their set was over, and the shards of my jaw were scooped up off the floor, I was blown away. 
     Ears thoroughly rung, and a beer chugged from the bar, I head over to The Colony to catch The Mastoids as they kick off their set. This 3-piece group has a good chunk of raw stage presence that lent itself to their modern punk sound. Their set wound through sounds similar to Against Me!, Rancid, The Flatliners, along with a lot of mid-late 90's alternative rock vibes. All in all, after getting the sonic crap joyfully kicked out of me by the previous band, these guys were the perfect band to lean against the wall and groove along to and watch. 
     As the final act of the night, Danny Secretion hit the stage long with fellow band members Bear Williams, Joe McKinney, Jeffrey Hollandsworth, and Matt Bennett. With Danny on lead vocal duty, they kicked into a set reminiscent of a mutated version of The Moans. Their set covered the full breadth of Danny's influences, as well as the rest of his band's. It was like a progression of a late-80's underground show, where The Misfits, The Vandals, and The Secretions (Yes, I know they aren't THAT old) played all through the night. With Danny on vocals, he was able to bring out his prime stage moves and antics, all adorned with his trademark smile. As the set wound down, rather than yell at us to do something pit-related or kill each other, he said something a little different. Hands out to the crowd, 
     "Give everyone a hug."
     Among a whole legion of smiles, they kicked into their last song and sent us home cheering and smiling. So, out into the cold I went, eager to enjoy the Sunday night show just around the corner. 
     Soon enough, Sunday was here, the night was cold, and I found myself at The Blue Lamp, eagerly awaiting what the show had in store for me tonight. Once we all filed in, Danny took the stage, glass of whiskey in hand, and gave us the low down on how much this event had meant to him, and how excited he was to have been able to do it. To rousing applause, he raises his glass, and introduces the opening group for the night. 
     Alpha As Fuck, a two-man group, hits the stage and launches into their track straight away. Now, upon first glance, the vests these guys were decked out in would have fit in at any punk show. Spray paint, buttons, pins, gauges and tattoos were their aesthetic, and they used it to bring home a sound that was very unique. They hit us full force with heavy duty bass, keys, and back-and-forth rhymes that were very unique. They even made sure to mix in a good dose of self-deprecating lyrics, and jokes at the expense of Lil' Uzi Vert. Their stage presence was also very dynamic, and they made sure to hop off the stage and show the crowd what they had in them. These guys sure did their part ot get everyone hyped up and ready to go. 
     Up next was Mone't Ha-Sidi, a local burlesque entertainer/actress that was here to give us a good dose of a little something different. She started her set off with a razor sharp parody of TLC's "No Scrubs", but instead re-worked and re-directed at Donald Trump. Once our much needed anti-GOP fix was given, Mone't filled us in on how she has a direct connection to the 'Fuck Cancer' tagline for tonight's show. One of her close friends in the artistic community here in Sacramento passed away from cancer. They became friends, bonding over one another's bald heads. After this heartfelt story was shared, you definitely felt a better connection to the act at hand, as well as this show tonight. The next stage of her act was a burlesque routine done to the tune of "Dick in a Box". It gave us the winning combination of well-placed tassels, bombastic dance moves, and a fake dick getting pulled out of a bedazzled KFC Bucket. Like the rest of the crowd, I couldn't help but hoot and holler the entire time. 
    Next for the night was Kennedy Wrose, who took the stage backed up by a guitarist and drummer as well. Jumping into his set, you get a full picture of his musical diversity right out of the gate. Between the richly layered guitar, crisp drum sound, and driving bass, it makes for a very well put together sound. In addition, Kennedy's rhymes were poignant, well constructed, and flowed like water. Everyone's head was bobbin', no matter where you were in that bar, and he was all over the place on that stage. You couldn't not get sucked in. He also made sure to reiterate that he lost his Mom to cancer, and how important events like this were to keep up hope in the fight against cancer. 
     Taking the stage next, rocking a sweet Boba Fett jacket with "BOUNTY HUNTER" across the back, was Reflective Intelligence. This solo act hit the ground running from beat 1, and didn't stop. Taking samples from trap, deep house, and even a little Public Enemy sprinkled in there, he kept the flow going, drawing the crowd in with his conscious lyrics and killer stage presence. Soon enough, fellow rapper 180 joined up with him on stage to keep the house rumbling with a good old fashioned belt of "Fuck the Police" here and there, too. I was drawn in, and so was everyone else, that's for sure. 
     The next act up was the duo, Ode to Saturday. With the vocal talent split between Jordan Kale and Deiy Leone, they brought a new style to the table I hadn't seen yet tonight. The beats they brought were heavy on the synth patches, as well as the chest-shaking bass. Vocally, they were heavily R&B based, and made sure to make full use of well-balanced harmonies, as well as rhyming back and forth through out all of their songs. They showcased a lot of their talent especially when they played their new single, "Closer". It was a great redirection in the night, and it help set the stage and get u excited for more. 
     Next on the ticket was Sparks Across Darkness, fronted by Anthony Giovanini, who were partially responsible for putting tonight's show together with Danny. Anthony was Danny's go to guy, and they worked together to get this night fully set up. Starting his set off, though, Anthony brought out a poem for him to read. It was one he wrote to and about his uncle who died from cancer. Choked up between stanza's, you sure do get the amount of honesty and heartfelt emotion Anthony put into his words. It goes one step further in illustrating how cancer can touch anybody's lives. Wiping a few tears away, Anthony and his backing band kick into their set. Backed up by a drummer and a DJ, they launch into a musically dense and energetic set that picks the crowd back up and keeps them there with powerful lyrics, crazy synth lines, DJ scratches, and Anthony's crowd mixing stage presence. It ran the full emotional gauntlet, and paid off in spades. 
     Last but not least, Hobo Johnson took the stage, giving us his trademark toothy grin as he got the lights lowered to a deep blue. Soon, he beckoned us all to sit on the floor while he sat on the edge of the stage. Shoes thrown off, he launches into his bombastic his "Romeo and Juliet" and drives that song home with the help of his backing drummer and emcee. Once that rhyme-laden journey, he too shares his connection to 'Fuck Cancer'. He tells us he had lost his grandfather to the disease, giving us yet another personal connection tying this show together. As his set continues, he shuffles back and forth from the crowd, delivering his blistering lyrics in a way that is truly unique to him. Soon enough he takes a seat on stage and flops a keyboard on his lap, while his emcee hops on guitar. They slam out another song of his, "Sex and the City" in true, full force energy that gets the crowd cheering and thrilled from the get-go. 
     Once his set is done, we get a rousing thank you from Danny, and a feeling that were part of something a little bit bigger and better than ourselves.
     At least that's the feeling I definitely got as I say bye to Danny, and wander to my car for the last time this weekend. It speaks volumes for both Sacramento's local music scene, as well as the impact people like Danny have on our little microcosm of music. I mean, I struggle to think of another place where, in one weekend, I can get the full breadth of local punk and rock music, as well as some of the most dynamic and introspective hip-hop I have ever seen. It was an eye-opening experience, to say the least, and I look forward to next year's already. 
     As well, make sure you donate to the American Cancer Society today, that way we can beat this awful disease together. 

Saturday, November 18, 2017

Race to the Bottom: Music, Beer, and Other Nice Things

     It's a chilly fall night when I pull up to Oak Park Brewery, off of Broadway in Sacramento, leaves crunching under my feet as I walk up. I walk in and the bar is full of people, but I have two objectives tonight at this place. One is to try a particular brew they have on tap, called Race to the Bottom Lavender IPA. The second objective is to interview the band behind the beer's name, Race to the Bottom.
     A band that has their own beer? Yes, please.
     I had tried a variety they produced before at First Festival, which served as a good fuel source for prime music viewing, writing, and rambling.
The beer I am getting on this particular night is a departure for me, just by looking at the name. Lavender in a beer? I'm not skeptical, for the record, it was just unexpected.
I order my beer, and take a sip. Immediately I get a rush of hops that makes me feel warm inside in a way that is only felt here in Northern California. The hops are upfront, but not overpowering. The lavender is subtle and refreshing, which helps make for a good aftertaste. It also helps the beer smell good.
     Long story short, that's a good beer.
     Satisfied, I settle into a table outside and enjoy the rest of my beer as I patiently wait for RTTB's band members to show up. I don't wait long, until I am joined by lead singer, Art Barrera. We chit chat for  a bit, and are soon joined by guitarist Joe Whitworth. As we sit and continue to chat, Joe fills me in on the particulars with their beer, seeing my empty glass.
     The beer they have on tap was brewed on site at Oak Park, and debuted during May's Beer Week celebrations that all local bars and breweries get in on. Soon enough, we are joined in by their drummer, Sean O'Leary, and we settle in for our chat.
     Unfortunately, bass player Jim Peoples wasn't able to be present that night, due to time constraints beyond everyone's control, but I was able to reach out to him via email for his input on what we talked about that night.
     The first thing I was curious about was the band's formation. Joe explains that he moved to Sacramento from Carson City, Nevada, where he started meeting people in the local music scene. Soon enough, he crossed paths with Jim, who was living in Woodland at the time. Jim was also making his way in the local music scene too, playing in cover bands and other original projects over time. He explains, via correspondence,
     "Somehow I connected with guitarist Rick Perego, and drummer Tom Amberson, of the Knockoffs, and we formed a band XL. Danny Secretion was in the band for a while, too. We played around Sacramento for a couple of years, and recorded some songs...But, the band never really went anywhere. Many years later, after playing in a cover band some more, I wanted to play original music again. I ran into Tom [Amberson] at a gig, and found out he was playing with Joe [Whitworth] in a new project...Tom e-mailed me to see if I was interested in getting together with them. Eventually, this band became Race to the Bottom."
     From there, Joe adds that Sean came in as their drummer soon after that. This led to them getting Art as their vocalist as the final piece of the puzzle. In this formation, they have been rocking steadily for nearly 3 years.
     Curiosity peaked, I ask them about their influences. Sean goes first by saying,
     "Oh man, all over the place...maybe Meg White? (laughs)...Neil Peart of Rush for a lot of it. I listened to a lot of classic rock growing up. Bands like Rush, Yes, Genesis, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, and The Who."
     Listening to the drum quality on a lot of their songs, its obvious that Sean's technical ability comes from these influences, giving the band a solid rhythm section base.
I ask the same question of Art, which he says,
     "From what you hear, Steven Tyler, Robert Plant, Joe Cocker. I've always liked that raspiness, you know? When you're young you don't have that, and I always wanted it. I didn't like sounding like Boyz II Men all the time, you know? (laughs). When I got into my first band, my guitar player pushed me, since he could see that I could do it. Eventually, I just got the growl in my voice. Smoking and drinking helps too (laughs)."
     That last one made all of us at the table laugh. He also added a country music as an influence, specifically Dwight Yoakam.
     Turning to Joe, he initially mentions his admiration of Queens of the Stone Age, saying,
     "[They are] as prog as I'll get...they have a lot of experimental tones I like to find."
     He also goes on to add,
     "I first started with guitar in the 1980's, when I saw a picture of Eddie Van Hale smile, and I knew what I wanted to do. It looked like fun...Then I heard him! I knew I had a lot of work to do, so I worked on my shredding, again and again. Then the 90's came and taught me a lot about songwriting. Stone Temple Pilots, The Toadies, you know, a lot of crunchy guitars, feedback...even Jimmy Buffett, for more simple songwriting stuff. It [my influences] changes all the time...I mean, right now, I'm listening to the latest Beck album, "Colors".
     Jim also had a pretty interesting list of influence. He fills me in by stating,
     "My primary influence is the Ramones. They are, by far, my favorite band and had a huge influence on me wanting to be a musician. I was playing the a bit before I discovered The Ramones, but I found I could ply along [with] Ramones songs on my guitar, and it really encouraged my guitar playing. Other influences include Kiss, King's X, Metallica, and Drivin''N' Cryin'."
     With this very broad, but very hard-rocking, list of influence among the band members, it's no wonder their music stands out among fellow musicians. They were selected to open the first day of First Festival 2017, and they gave the show it's much needed jump start to get the day started off right.
     If you wanted to hear what I am talking about for yourself, check out "Stereotypical" their EP available on Soundcloud, as well as the couple of songs they have available on their personal YouTube page. According to Joe, they are going to get 2-3 more sons together for a new EP that will be out around New Years. They are particularly excited for these new songs, since they are recording them at Fat Cat studios with local recording wizard, Sean Stack. They are filled with good things to say about him. Joe mentions,
     "[Sean Stack is] more of a gear nerd than anybody."
     Sean backs up this admiration by saying,
     "He can figure out a musicians personalty and get them to put their best out there."
     Art adds, a slight smirk on his face,
     "He knows how to get things out of you...he'll tell me 'I hear it, I hear it, you got it! C'mon you can do it! Hit that note!...Ahh here we go, I got it! That's good I can take that. Now do it two more times.' (laughs)."
     Joe continues by saying,
     "I'll hear something on a record and I will bring it to him and ask, 'What is that? And how can we emulate that on this song?' Like on the recording of "Not So Invincible", we had electric piano...I heard something different on another album, brought it to him and he said, 'Oh yeah, it's an electric piano with an acoustic [piano] mixed in, so lets do that' and we mixed it in."
     Needless to say, their partnership with Fat Cat is going to pay dividends in the near future. Their respect and admiration of Stack, along with his mastery of his craft is going to be a partnership I look forward to hearing.
     Soon enough, hands are filled with more Lavender IPA as our conversation turns to a subject I enjoy, since answers vary all over the place. Favorite venues. Sean starts us off with a smile on his face,
    "Does The Stag count? (laughs) The Stag is always fun, man. Out in Woodland, where the crowd has to walk through the band to get to the bathroom. A bunch of drunk ass people singing songs they don't know. It's great."
     Despite how that may read, Sean means it honestly. You can just tell by the nostalgic smile that lingers for a bit, even as Art speaks up next, by saying simply,
     "I like Old Ironsides, personally."
     Everyone agrees with him there, as Joe also interjects by adding,
     "The Press Club is definitely my favorite place. Even though it's reserved [for live music] Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, it can be hard to get people out to the gig. But I still love that pace, I don't know why (laughs)."
     Jim also had his personal favorite,
     "Playing at Ace of Spades was fun, because it's a big stage with a big sound system...But I think my favorite place is Old Ironsides. I like how intimate it is and how there doesn't need to e a lot of people in the audience for it to be real fun."
     In addition to playing these local venues, among other local spots, they have also branched out and played in Sunnyvale and San Jose. They also played at Toot's in Corckett, near the Maritime bridge.         According to Joe, they have always been looking to branch into the Bay Area, for further gigs to play. he clarifies,
     "We have always been working on it, but its tough because there are also so many other bands who want to play the Bay Area."
     Not to seem discouraged, Joe simply smiles and shrugs.
     We chat one for a few more minutes until more glasses of beer are gone, and the night is suddenly not so cold anymore. Between all these guys, there is a wealth of positive energy, excitement, and all around goodness that I feel will sustain them in there future endeavors. I leave with a feeling inside that this band will continue to put out good music and play great shows for many years to come. Please be sure to keep these guys on your radar, because great music is always just around the corner with them.